The Way of Kings

“‘There are two kinds of people in this world, son. Those who save lives, and those who take lives.’

‘And what of those who protect and defend? Those who save lives by taking lives?’

‘That’s like trying to stop a storm by blowing harder. Ridiculous. You can’t protect by killing.’”

This quote is from a conversation between Kaladin and his father, Lirin. As a surgeon, the older man values life more than anything else and despises those who kill. However, Kaladin will be faced with situations where his only way of protecting others is to kill the enemy. In the case of the strange Parshendi and the chasmfiends, standing aside and just healing the wounded is not enough to save lives. Kaladin must find a way to reconcile his father’s and his own beliefs.

“‘Authority doesn’t come from a rank,’ Kaladin said, fingering the spheres in his pocket. ‘[It comes from] the men who give it to you. That’s the only way to get it.’”

This is an excerpt from Kaladin and Syl’s conversation after Gaz tells the bridgeleader that he has no authority without a rank. The soldier’s words prompt Kaladin to think about the nature of authority and leadership and what it means to have them. The young man’s experiences have led him to understand that just holding a rank, whether a social or a military one, is insufficient to bestow genuine authority. This quote relates to Dalinar’s insight that while many people want to be leaders, very few have the ability to be good ones.

“‘Sometimes,’ Dalinar said, ‘the prize is not worth the costs. The means by which we achieve victory are as important as the victory itself.’”

Dalinar speaks to Sadeas and attempts to explain his changed worldview. His words go against the Alethi way of life and are inspired by the book The Way of Kings. These words also paraphrase one of the Knights Radiant’s Ideals, although he is not aware of the latter at that moment, and echo Shallan’s differentiation between intent and action. This quote demonstrates that Dalinar is unconsciously preparing himself to become a Knight Radiant.

“The monarch is like this man, stumbling along, the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders. Many give way before him, but so few are willing to step in and help carry the stone. They do not wish to attach themselves to the work, lest they condemn themselves to a life full of extra burdens. I left my carriage that day and took up the stone, lifting it for the man. I believe my guards were embarrassed. One can ignore a poor shirtless wretch doing such labor, but none ignore a king sharing the load. Perhaps we should switch places more often. If a king is seen to assume the burden of the poorest of men, perhaps there will be those who will help him with his own load, so invisible, yet so daunting.”

This is a quote from The Way of the Kings, the treatise written by the mythical king Nohadon as a manual to help rulers be better leaders. Dalinar has listened to this passage so many times that he remembers it by heart, a testament to the text’s profound impact on the Highprince. The story’s message seems to be that although most people prefer to concern themselves with their own, individual interests, rather than with the greater good, community effort is needed at all levels of power—from the suffering poor to those making difficult decisions.

“All wars are games. The greatest kind, with the pieces lost real lives, the prizes captured making for real wealth! This is the life for which men exist. To fight, to kill, to win.”

This quote juxtaposes Dalinar’s newfound values to the traditional Alethi way of thinking. A culture that values violence, physical force, and competitiveness cannot easily accept such ideas as selflessness or cooperation. The two worldviews are diametrically opposed and it becomes clear that they will probably be impossible to reconcile.

“Battle was a masculine art. A woman wanting to come to the battlefield was like... well, like a man wanting to read. Unnatural.”

This is an expression of Dalinar’s sentiment on hearing that his son’s girlfriend is interested in coming to see a battle. His thoughts also indirectly encompass his younger son who is more interested in books and knowledge, than in fighting. While Dalinar is gradually changing his views of Alethi culture, he is still very much the product of his people and is slow to relinquish restrictive social ideas that are not directly connected to his own experiences.

“But I hate that feeling of killing while calm and cold. I’ve seen that those who care fight harder, longer, and better than those who don’t. It’s the difference between mercenaries and real soldiers. It’s the difference between fighting to defend your homeland and fighting on foreign soil.”

These words belong to Kaladin’s first training master, Tukk. The protagonist has learned most of what he knows about fighting and being a soldier from Tukk. Kaladin recalls these words because they encapsulate the difference between killing and protecting. The first is done for personal, selfish gain, the second for selfless reasons.

“Youthful immaturity is one of the cosmere’s great catalysts for change.”

Jasnah’s words to Shallan are meant to encourage the younger woman to think and act for herself, rather than always rely on other people’s opinions. Being a scholar is all about studying and analyzing past events and someone else’s account of them. However, there is an inherent danger of becoming a passive observer. Being young and inexperienced is not always a bad thing as it can lead to acts of bravery and innovation that older people would not attempt.

“Must someone, some unseen thing, declare what is right for it to be right? I believe that my own morality—which answers only to my heart—is more sure and true than the morality of those who do right only because they fear retribution.”

This excerpt encapsulates Jasnah’s understanding of religion and morality. She attempts to explain her worldview to her host, King Taravangian. Jasnah’s justification of her rejection of Vorinism and other religions echoes the arguments presented by atheists in the real world. She believes that doing the right thing should be a goal in its own right, rather than a side effect of a person’s belief in divine reward and punishment. In this, Jasnah echoes the Radiants’ Ideals, foreshadowing the revelation of her magical abilities.

“‘When we are young,’ Jasnah said, ‘we want simple answers. There is no greater indication of youth, perhaps, than the desire for everything to be as it should. As it has ever been.’”

In this quote, Jasnah is talking to Shallan about the younger woman’s desire for simple, unambiguous answers. The older woman suggests that life is rarely black-or-white and that different people can have their own subjective interpretations of the same events. Seeking only one definitive answer can be limiting and short-sighted.

“Life before Death. Strength before Weakness. Journey before Destination.”

These are the three Ideals, or mottos, of the Knights Radiant. They serve as both a pledge for a person’s desire to follow them and as teachings on how to live life. For the Knights, the essential factors are intention and experience, rather than the end results—fitting for those engaged in cyclical struggle.

“‘You see, it has been my experience that no matter where you go, you will find some who abuse their power.’ He shrugged. ‘Eye color is not so odd a method, compared to many others I have seen. If you were to overthrow the lighteyes and place yourselves in power, Moash, I doubt that the world would be a very different place. The abuses would still happen. Simply to other people.’”

Sigzil says this in relation to Babatharnam’s system of killing anyone who gets too old to challenge the ruler, the oldest person alive. This is one of the rare instances in the book where other cultures and political systems are mentioned. It reveals that social injustice is a global, systematic problem, rather than time- or culture-specific. The hierarchies of power exist everywhere, but are shaped differently. Replacing a ruling class with a different set of people does not solve the problem, it simply shuffles around those who benefit from the system. In this passage, Sigzil comes close to espousing the ideas of anarchy and socialism, ideologies that seek to undermine existing political systems and create egalitarian societies.

“He pointedly did not look again at the broken, mangled body on the bridge. Dunny had been one of the only bridgemen to retain any hint of innocence. And now he was dead, trampled by Sadeas, struck by arrows from both sides. Ignored, forgotten, abandoned.”

In this passage, Dunny, a young bridgeman who is trampled to death by Sadeas’ soldiers, becomes the symbol of Kaladin’s own lost innocence and betrayal by the ruling elite. The dead body also serves as a metaphor for all commoners who are used and discarded by their Highlords.

“The lighteyes talk about honor. They spout empty claims about their nobility. Well, I’ve only known one man in my life who was a true man of honor. He was a surgeon who would help anyone, even those who hated him. Especially those who hated him.”

In a conversation with Teft, Kaladin explains why he dislikes the Alethi nobility. In his view, the lighteyes are hypocrites. They talk about honor, but do not act upon their own words. They are selfish and indulgent, putting their own interests above those of others. In Kaladin’s experience, only his father, the surgeon Lirin, followed through what he believed to be right. The young man’s own understanding of morality is modeled on his father’s behavior.

“Kaladin turned to Moash. ‘Why do they treat us so, Moash? Because they know they should be better than they are. Because they see discipline in bridgemen, and it embarrasses them. Rather than bettering themselves, they take the easier road of jeering at us.’”“Kaladin turned to Moash. ‘Why do they treat us so, Moash? Because they know they should be better than they are. Because they see discipline in bridgemen, and it embarrasses them. Rather than bettering themselves, they take the easier road of jeering at us.’”

Kaladin touches on a central theme in the book–personal responsibility. The soldiers are supposed to be superior to the bridgemen because of their training and skills. However, when their behavior diverges from the perceived ideal, they do not wish to take personal responsibility and improve themselves, but, rather, take the easier route of sabotaging or denigrating those who do adhere to higher standards.

“Holding a blanket around herself, staring with haunted eyes at her lands, she replied, ‘Do you not see, Traveling One? If the emperor is dead, and has been all these years, then the murders we committed are not his responsibility. They are our own.’”

The story told by Wit, or Hoid, focuses on group beliefs and behaviors, as well as on the difference between legality and morality. Killing in Uvara is legally allowed as dictated by the emperor. It is made possible, however, by the entire group’s agreement and enforcement of the requirement. While lawful, the murders are clearly seen as immoral by the islanders, as attested by their behavior after learning of the emperor’s death. However, despite knowing that it is wrong, they continued killing others when the responsibility could be transferred onto the legal system.

“‘A story doesn’t live until it is imagined in someone’s mind.’

‘What does the story mean, then?’

‘It means what you want it to mean,’ Hoid said. ‘The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that.’”

In this focal exchange between Wit, or Hoid, and Kaladin, the older man reveals that he values people who can think critically and ask questions, rather than accept things on someone else’s authority. Kaladin is one of the few characters in the novel who actually questions the status quo and understands how fundamentally flawed his society is. He is also able to examine his own thoughts and actions and change his behavior when realizing he has made a mistake. This trait marks him as different from almost everyone else and is what allows him to achieve his full transformation into a Knight Radiant.

“Though there was one thing he clung to. An excuse, perhaps, like the dead emperor. It was the soul of the wretch. Apathy. The belief that nothing was his fault, the belief that he couldn’t change anything. If a man was cursed, or if he believed he didn’t have to care, then he didn’t need to hurt when he failed. Those failures couldn’t have been prevented. Someone or something else had ordained them.”

This quote is taken from Kaladin’s internal musings after his conversation with Wit. The young man slowly comes to realize that believing in a divine curse that makes everyone around him die is an evasion of responsibility. The belief in an outside force is a fatalist outlook that does not leave room for personal choice. Not caring about others prevents emotional hurt, but also prevents a person from acting and attempting to change things. After realizing that his reliance on the idea of a curse is a self-protection mechanism, Kaladin is finally ready to move on and become an active participant in the events surrounding him. This moment marks a turning point after which his Radiant abilities start developing quickly.

“Strength before weakness. All men are weak at some time in their lives. The Radiant protects those who are weak, and uses his strength for others. Strength does not make one capable of rule; it makes one capable of service.”

Teft explains the first of the Radiants’ Ideals to Kaladin. This idea is deeply alien to the Alethi way of life, where all lighteyes vie for power and wealth. None of the Highprinces would agree that serving requires strength, as they see servitude as something inferior, imposed on those who are weaker by those who are stronger. However, the Radiants speak of a different kind of service–one that is voluntary and self-sacrificing.

“Journey before destination. There are several ways to achieve a goal. Failure is preferable to winning through unjust means. Protecting ten innocents is not worth killing one. In the end, all men die. How you lived will be far more important to the Almighty than what you accomplished.”

Teft explains the third of the Radiants’ Ideals to Kaladin. The motto’s meaning is concerned with choice and action, rather than with results. To the Radiants, it is more important how a goal is achieved and what a person chooses in the process, rather than what ultimately happens. This goes against the Alethi culture, where competition and winning are given primacy. Not knowing the Ideal’s exact wording, Dalinar paraphrases it on several occasions, signaling his own process of becoming a Radiant.

“Men in power always pretend things like virtue, or divine guidance, some kind of mandate to ‘protect’ the rest of us. If we believe that the Almighty put them where they are, it’s easier for us to swallow what they do to us.”

Kaladin’s words in this passage reveal his complete disillusionment with the power structures in place in Alethkar. He has personally witnessed lighteyes behave in a despicable manner, belying the prevalent belief in their moral superiority. If their purported superiority is untrue, then the system in place that supports such ideas must also be faulty. Both tradition and religion claim that there is a divine reason for the existing hierarchy, but the only people profiting from such a state of affairs are those at the top.

“‘You seduced me to it.’

‘What? Seduced?’ She glanced back at him. ‘Dalinar, I’ve never been more open and honest in my life.’

‘I know,’ Dalinar said, smiling. ‘That was the seductive part.’ He closed the door softly, then let out a sigh.”

This exchange happens between Dalinar and Navani after the Highprince finally succumbs to his attraction to his sister-in-law and kisses her. Up to this point, Navani has presented herself as a strong and relatively independent woman, proficient in court intrigue. While maintaining such an image, she inadvertently helps Dalinar maintain his distance as he believes that Navani is playing with his emotions. However, seeing her genuinely distressed convinces him that she is sincere, which makes her irresistible. His change of heart is consistent with Dalinar’s love for honor and truth.

“It strikes me that religion—in its essence—seeks to take natural events and ascribe supernatural causes to them. I, however, seek to take supernatural events and find the natural meanings behind them. Perhaps that is the final dividing line between science and religion. Opposite sides of a card.”

This is another passage where Jasnah talks about her stance on religion and refusal to join the Vorin Church. She seems to think that her efforts do not necessarily undermine religious teaching, but rather exist in parallel or as an alternative. This is consistent with Sanderson’s ambivalent portrayal of the relationship between the supernatural and the divine throughout the novel.